EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTING LA W.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*sb0783*
SENATE BILL 783
F1 5lr3227
CF 5lr2630
By: Senators Carozza, Bailey, Charles, Corderman, Gallion, Henson, Hershey,
Hester, Folden, James, Jennings, McKay, Ready, Salling, Watson, and West
Introduced and read first time: January 27, 2025
Assigned to: Education, Energy, and the Environment
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Public Schools – Student Fights – School Investigation and Discipline 2
FOR the purpose of requiring a principal or school administration to investigate each 3
student fight or physical struggle; prohibiting a school employee from disciplining a 4
student under certain circumstances; requiring a principal or school administration 5
to expunge certain documentation from a student’s disciplinary record under certain 6
circumstances; and generally relating to an investigation and discipline after a 7
student fight. 8
BY adding to 9
Article – Education 10
Section 7–311 11
Annotated Code of Maryland 12
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 13
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 14
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 15
Article – Education 16
7–311. 17
(A) A PRINCIPAL OR SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION SHALL INVESTIGATE EACH 18
STUDENT FIGHT OR PHYSICAL ST RUGGLE. 19
(B) (1) A SCHOOL EMPLOYEE MAY NOT DISCIPLINE A STU DENT WHO, 20
AFTER THE INVESTIGAT ION REQUIRED UNDER S UBSECTION (A) OF THIS SECTION , 21
MORE LIKELY THAN NOT USED REASONABLE FORC E NECESSARY TO PROTE CT THE 22
STUDENT OR TO ESCAPE THE ATTACK. 23 2 SENATE BILL 783
(2) IF A STUDENT WAS DISC IPLINED DURING THE C OURSE OF THE 1
INVESTIGATION BUT WA S LATER DETERMINED T O HAVE USED REASONAB LE FORCE 2
JUSTIFIED UNDER PARA GRAPH (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION , THE PRINCIPAL OR 3
SCHOOL ADMINISTRATIO N SHALL EXPUNGE ANY DOCUMENTATION OF THE 4
DISCIPLINE FROM THE STUDENT’S DISCIPLINARY RECOR D. 5
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 6
1, 2025. 7